Brush making machine



Jan. 18, 1966 Filed Sept. 10, 1964 C. IASILLO BRUSH MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CASPER IASILLO ATTORNEYS Jan. 18, 1966 c. lASlLLO 3,230,0i5

BRUSH MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR CA$PER IAS/LLO ATTORNEYS Jan. 18, 1966 c. IASILLO BRUSH MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 10, 1964 INVENTOR CASPER IASILLO Jan. 18, 1966 c. lASlLLO BRUSH MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 10, 1964 INVENTOR CASPER IASILLO Jan. 18, 1966 c. lASlLLO 3,230,015

BRUSH MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR CASPER IASIL L 0 BY mam, mix/1%- W ATTORN EYS Jan. 18, 1966 c. lASlLLO BRUSH MAKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 10, 1964 INVENTOR CASPER IASJLLO United States Patent 3,230,015 BRUSH MAKING MACHINE Casper Iasillo, 34 Summit Ave., Portchester, NY. Filed Sept. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 395,460 11 Claims. (Cl. 300-5) This invention relates to new and improved components for a brush making machine.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide new and improved components for a brush making machine, resulting in a machine which operates more efliciently, at a more rapid production rate, has less operating parts, needs less maintenance, is less prone to breakdown, requires less operator training to run, and makes goods which are seldom defective, all to the end that its value for the manufacture of brushes is enhanced.

In a conventional brush making machine, it is the practice to sever wire into short lengths and to form these lengths into staples which retain tufts of bristles in brush backs. It has been found advantageous to cut one short length of wire at a time as an incident to the placement of each tuft of bristles into the back. Cutting means for severing the lengths of wire are well known, but heretofore there has not been proposed a satisfactory wire feed for intermittently advancing wire a constant length from a source of supply to the cutting means. Previous devices have tended to be excessively complex and have failed to repetitively advance the wire a predetermined constant length.

It is another object of this invention to provide in a brush making machine a new and improved reliable wire feed for repetitively intermittently advancing wire a constant length to a cutting means in which feed there is no slippage between the wire and the feed elements and in which wear caused by constant movement of the parts does not affect the length of feed.

In previous brush making machines, there has been provided staple forming means to bend severed segments of wire into U-shaped staples, these means comprising staple forming jaws and a bending anvil. A set of bristles was formed by a reciprocating picker bar from a supply of bristles. The staple forming jaws were mounted to move the staple, after it had been formed over the bending anvil, to a position straddling the center of the set of bristles. Staple driving means, i.e. a staple ram, then pressed the staple and its straddled set of bristles into a selected hole in the brush back, until the ends of the staple bit into the bottom of the hole, thereby fixing the bristles in place with the ends of the bristles being erected upwardly into a tuft by the wall of the hole.

The staple forming jaws positioned the formed staple with its set of bristles immediately above the hole in the brush back as the staple ram pressed the staple downwardly from between the staple driving jaws and into the hole in the brush back. The staple forming jaws remained stationary immediately above the hole in the brush back until the staple ram had forced the staple fully into the hole.

Although the above system was operative, it was observed that the ends of the bristles in any one tuft tended to be displaced from one another, this being due to the fact that the tuft was twisted.

It has been determined that the tuft twisting was caused primarily by the interference of the staple forming jaws which remained immediately above the tuft hole and prevented a smooth flow of the bristles into the tuft hole in the brush back, as the staple ram forced the staple into the tuft hole. Since the tips of said jaws are larger in plan than the mouth of the tuft hole, the jaws would press the bristles against the surface of the 3,230,015 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 brush back surrounding the hole as the tuft entered the hole.

It is another object of this invention to provide in the brush making machine separate actuating means for the staple ram and separate actuating means for the staple forming and lacement jaws whereby to enable a timing sequence to be established between the jaws and the ram wherein the staple forming jaws engage the staple only until the ends of the staple enter the tuft hole in the brush back and then move away from the tuft hole while the staple ram continues to drive the staple into the tuft hole, so that the staple forming jaws provide clearance for the hole-entering movement of the tuft and do not noticeably interfere with the bristles as a tuft of bristles is driven into a brush back hole.

As has been mentioned, the staple ram is utilized to drive the staple carrying its tuft of bristles into the bottom of the tuft hole, thereby fixing the tuft of bristles within said hole, with the vertical wall of the hole holding the ends of the bristles erect. The tuft holes in the brush back have been formed in a previous operation usually by the repetitive reciprocating upwardly and downwardly moving strokes of a power drill. Especially where the back is made of wood and to a lesser degree where the back is made from plastic, the depth of the tuft hole varies to a slight though significant degree due to the lack of constant resistance to drilling by the back material as well as due to inevitable slight variances in the depth of the drilling stroke. The lowermost end of the staple ram stroke also slightly varies due to the long drive linkage from the main drive shaft to said ram. It is, of course, desirable to drive the staple with its tuft into the bottom of the hole to a point where the lower bristles in the tuft abut the floor of the hole and the staple can be driven no further into the floor. However, due to the variances in depth of the tuft hole as Well to variances in the extent of the ram stroke, upon occasion a staple was driven too deeply and the ensuing heightened pressure would weaken or split the brush back.

'It is another object of this invention to provide in a brush making machine a yieldable coupling, such for example as a gas coupling, as a link in the actuating means for the aforementioned staple ram whereby the maximum driving pressure under which the staple is forced into the brush back can be selectably fixed at a predetermined level, a level sufiiciently high to drive the staple into its desired position with its ends biting into the floor of the tuft hole and with the bottommost bristles in the tuft in contact with the floor of the tuft hole. It is desired that the gas coupling yield upon encountering a high resistance generated when the staple with its tuft is attempted to be driven further through the bottom of the tuft hole, whereby to prevent the weakening or rupturing of the brush back.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide in a brush making machine a gas coupling as previously described wherein the maximum driving pressure under which the staple will be forced into the floor of the tuft hole in the back can be regulated and altered while the brush making machine is running so that when brush backs formed from different materials are being tufted, the maximum driving pressure can be appropriately adjusted to suit the different brush back material.

These and various other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to the reader in the following description.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which Will be exemplified in the brush making machine components hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a brush making machine and illustrating several new and improved components incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of said portion of the brush making machine;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the wire feed;

FIG. 4 is a vertical side sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 of the brush making machine;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged cross-sectional views taken, respectively, substantially along the lines 55, 66, and 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the staple forming and placement jaws and of the staple ram;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are fragmentary enlarged elevational views of the staple forming and placement jaws, respectively, aproaching a severed length of wire and forming the same over a bending anvil;

FIGS. 11 through 14 are enlarged partially cross-sectional elevational sequential views which shows the relative positions of the staple forming and placement jaws and the staple driver while inserting and stapling a tuft of bristles into a tuft hole in a brush back; and

FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the final position of the tuft of bristles stapled into the brush back.

The present invention discloses improvements in several components of a brush making machine. The basic brush making machine for which these improvements are particularily well suited is shown inter alia, in United States Letters Patents Nos. 2,243,495; 2,324,480; 2,324,481; 2,415,083; and 2,689,152. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these improved components are readily adaptable for use with other types of brush making machinery.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially to FIGS. 1 through 3, the reference numeral denotes a wire feed constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention and which is a component of a brush making machine 21. The wire feed is operated by a rotatable main drive shaft 22 which also actuates numerous other components of the brush making machine. Said drive shaft is rotated by conventional motor means (not shown) mounted on the brush making machine and rotates at a constant speed during operation of the machine.

The wire feed 20 includes means to dispense wire 23 a constant predetermined length in each cycle of operations. Said means comprises a circular eccentric 24 fast on the main drive shaft 22. The eccentric 24 turns within an elongated strap 26 the forward end of which is rotatably connected as by a pivot pin 28 to an elongated reverse S- shaped rocker lever 30. The pivot pin turns in a sleeve adjustably fixed in a longitudinal slot in the lever 30 so as to regulate the length of wire fed each stroke. The lever 30 is pivoted at an intermediate portion thereof as by a stud 32 on the frame 34 of the brush making machine 21.

The lower end of the lever 30 is rotatably secured to the head of a link 36 of adjustable length, as by a connecting pin 38. The shank of the link 36 is threaded and its end distant from its head is received in an internally tapped sleeve 40. The effective length of the link 36 can be altered by screwing the link shank into or out of the sleeve 40, and its position fixed by tightening the lock nut '42 against the sleeve.

The sleeve is rotatably connected at 41 to the upper end of a feed pawl 44 and the pawl 44 is pivoted at an intermediate portion on a wire carrier 46.

The wire carrier 46 is slidably mounted for reciprocating motion on a carrier housing 48. The carrier housing includes on its lower side a right-angled flange 50 which is bolted to a section of the frame 34. The wire carrier is slidable in a track 52 in the housing. The carrier has angle shaped upper and lower edges 56, each fitting in to 4- and being slidably held by a different section of the track.

Means is provided to guide the wire 23 in its travel through said wire feed. To this end, a fixed guide block 58 and a sliding guide block 60 each have an aperture, respectively 62, 64, the apertures being aligned so as to define a path of travel for the wire therethrough. The fixed guide block 58 is secured to a vertical bar 66 whose central segment bridges the wire carrier 46 and whose ends are fixed to upper and lower portions of the stationary carrier housing 48.

The sliding guide block 60 is fixed to the wire carrier 46 and consequently reciprocates with the carrier. A central portion of this guide block is cut out as at 68 so as to expose a portion of the wire 23, as it passes through this guide block, to the action of the feed pawl 44.

As has been previously stated, the feed pawl 44 is rotatably mounted on the wire carrier 46, as 'by a mounting pin 70, and has a foot 72 which is located for rotative movement in the cutout 68 in the sliding guide block 60 and across the path of travel of the wire through said guide block. The movement of the foot of the feed pawl away from the path of travel of the wire is limited by an eccentric stop 74 secured on the carrier and which may be rotated to adjust the limiting position of the stop. The movement of the foot of the feed pawl 44 in the counterdirection across the path of travel of the wire 23 is limited by the wedging abutment of the foot against the wire 23, pressing the wire against the lower wall of the cutout.

A uni-directional retrograde check pawl 76 is rotatably supported at a central portion thereof on the bar 66 as by a mounting pin 78. The check pawl 76 has a dependent tooth 80, which in clockwise directional movement (as seen in FIG. 3), presses the wire 23 against stationary extension 82 of the fixed guide block 58. A short coil spring 84 has one end fixed to the upper end of the check pawl 76 distant from the tooth and has its other end fixed to an upper section of the bar 66. Said coil spring 84 biases the cheek pawl in a clockwise rotational direction so that its tooth is urged into light frictional contact with the wire in a position slightly forwardly offset from the vertical plumb line passing through the mounting pin 78.

The wire 23 is drawn from a source of supply, e.g. a freely rotatable reel 86, mounted on the frame 34, upon which numerous turns of the wire are wound (see FIG. 1). The wire 23 runs from the supply reel over a guiding idler I and through the aligned apertures 62, 64 in the guide blocks, respectively 60, 58.

A brake B supported on the housing 48 imparts a light frictional drag to the carrier 46.

Turning then to the operation of the wire feed 20, the main drive shaft 22 is rotated at a substantially constant speed when the brush making machine is running. The eccentric 24 rotates with the drive shaft and imparts a reciprocating motion to the strap 26, which in turn causes the rocker lever 30 to oscillate, and to transmit a recipro eating adjustable stroke to the wire carrier 46 through the link 36 and the feed pawl 44, which is rotatably supported on the carrier. During each counter-clockwise (as seen in FIG. 3) oscillation of the rocker lever 30, the wire carrier 46 is reciprocated forwardly (to the right in FIG. 3) in a direction parallel to the path of travel of the wire with the carrier sliding in the aforesaid direction in the carrier housing 48.

The forward reciprocating stroke af the wire carrier 46 is preceded by a lost motion action wherein the feed pawl 44 is rotated by the previously described linkage in a clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 3) with the carrier held stationary by the brake B until the feed pawl foot 72 wedgingly abuts the wire 23 at the cutout 68 in the sliding guide block 60 and firmly presses the wire against the cutout wall. Only when the pawl foot abuts the wire is the carrier driven through its forward stroke. The gripping action of the pawl continues during the entire forward stroke of the wire carrier 46 so that the wire 23 is unwound from the supply reel 86 and moved forwardly together with the forward stroke of the Wire carrier 46 for a constant predetermined distance. It will be noted that during the aforesaid forward movement of the wire 23, said Wire is pulled forwardly through the aperture 64 in the stationary guide block 58 and exerts a counter clockwise (as seen in FIG. 3) force on the tooth 80 of the check pawl 76, against the biasing force of the coil spring 84, so that the tongue tends to move in a direction away from the path of travel of wire 23 and does not impede free forward movement of the wire.

During each clockwise oscillation of the rocker lever 30, the wire carrier is reciprocated rearwardly (to the left in FIG. 3) in a direction parallel to the path of travel of the wire with the carrier sliding in a rearward direction in the carrier housing 48.

Immediately preceding the rearward stroke of the wire carrier, 2. lost motion action again ensues with the feed pawl 44 being rotated by the previously described linkage in a counter-clockwise direction with the carrier held stationary by the brake B until the upper portion of the pawl above the pivot pin abuts the eccentric stop 74, and the foot 72 of the pawl is clear of the path of travel of the wire 23. Only when the pawl has moved to its clear position is the rearward stroke of the carrier initiated.

As the rearward stroke of the carrier begins, the check pawl 76 holds the wire immobile. That is, upon the slightest movement of the wire 23 rearward, as by any frictional drag on the wire, the frictional contact between the tooth 80 of the check pawl and the rearwardly moving wire tends to rotate the tooth in a clockwise direction so as to jam the tooth against the wire and to press it against the extension 82 on the fixed guide block 53. This temporarily fixes the wire in place against the stationary carrier housing, and the sliding guide block 60 moves rearwardly along the now-stationary wire. Thus each cycle of operation of the carrier, i.e. each backand-forth stroke of the carrier, will intermittently move the wire a predetermined constant length forward.

This arrangement is superior to the presently employed intermittently rotatable pressure feed rolls, since it is far simpler to adjust the timing thereof (merely requiring varying the effective length of the shank 36) and does not slip whereby the length of the wire fed forwardly will remain constant for extremely long periods of time without replacement of worn parts.

Cutting means is provided (see FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5) to sever segments 87 of constant length from the leading free end of the wire 23 after the wire is dispensed by the wire feed. Said cutting means comprises a plunger 88 which is mounted for sliding movement in a sleeve 90 fixed to the frame 34 of the brush making machine. The plunger includes an enlarged head 92 located above the sleeve and a shaft 94 attached to the head 92 and passing through a bore in the sleeve. The lower end of the shaft 94 is formed into a sharp cutting blade 96. The wire is supported by a fixed anvil 98 through which the wire is guided after it leaves the wire feed.

The plunger 88 is urged upwardly to a position wherein the cutting blade is distant from the wire by an elongated coil spring 100. One end of the coil spring is attached to the head 92 and the other end of the coil spring is attached to a stud 102 which protrudes from the frame 34 of the brush making machine at a location above the cutting means.

Actuating means is provided to intermittently drive the cutting means. To this end, the main drive shaft 22 has a circular eccentric 104 fast thereon. The eccentric ro tates within a strap 196 which is pivotally connected to one end of an elongated lever 108. The lever is pivoted at an intermediate portion thereof on a stud which is attached to the frame 34. The other end of the lever 108 is pivotally connected as by a connecting pin 112 to a driving rod 114. The lower end of the driving rod is pivotally connected as by a bolt 118 and spacer 120 to a slide 116. The slide 116 vertically reciprocates within an elongated groove 122 formed in the frame 34 above the plunger 88. The lower end of the s lide 116 carries a hammer 124 which is positioned so that upon a downward stroke of the actuating means, the hammer 124 will strike the head 92 of the plunger and drive the plunger downwardly.

Rotation of the main drive shaft 22 rotates the eccen tric 104 inparting a reciprocating movement to the strap 106. The strap thereby causes the lever 108 to oscillate so that the rod 114 moves the slide 116 up and down within the vertical groove 122. When the slide 116 experiences a downward stroke, the hammer 124 drives the cutting means so that the cutting blade 96 severs a segment 87 of wire. When the slide 116 then experiences an upward stroke, the hammer 124 moves upward with it so that the coil spring 100 can move the plunger and the cutting blade attached thereto away from the wire. The cutting means is timed to sever a segment 87 from the wire 23 at the end of a wire feeding movement, while the wire is stationary. After each severance of a segment of wire, the wire feed, previously described, again advances the wire a constant length toward the cutting means and under the blade 96.

Transport means (see FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 9 and 10) is provided to move a severed segment 87 of wire from the cutting means to a station at which the segment is formed into a staple. Said transport means includes two transport jaws, namely, a stationary upper jaw 126 and a rocking lower jaw 128. The jaws are supported on a carrier 130 which is mounted for reciprocal movement in a transport housing 132 which is fixed to the frame of the brush making machine. The carrier 130 slides back and forth in a channel 134 formed in the housing. The upper jaw 126 is rigidly fixed to the carrier 130 as by two bolts 138. The lower jaw 128 is pivoted on the forwardly protruding extension of the carrier as by a pin 140. The gripping ends 129, 131 of the jaws normally abut one another and the lower jaw 128 is pivoted so that the gripping end 131 of the lower jaw is movable toward and away from the stationary gripping end 129 of the upper jaw 126.

The gripping end 131 of the lower jaw is urged into abutment with the gripping end 129 of the upper jaw by a coil spring 142, one end of which is fixed to an extension 144 of the carrier 130, and the other end of which is fixed to the end of the lower jaw 128 distant from its gripping end 131. The gripping end 131 of the lower jaw is limited in its movement away from the gripping end 129 of the upper jaw by abutment of the end of the lower jaw distant from its gripping end against the fixed jaw.

Drive means is provided to reciprocate the transport carrier 130. To this end, the main drive shaft 22 has fast thereon an enlarged hub 146 to which is attached a face earn 148 having a camming surface 150. A follower 152 actuated by the cam 148 includes a roller 154 riding on the camming surface 150. The roller 154 is urged against the camming surface by a coil spring 156, one end of which is fixed to the frame of the brush making machine and the other end of which is fixed to the follower. The follower 152 is connected by a rocking linkage 158 to an arm 160 which passes through a horizontal slot 161 in the housing 132 and which is attached to the back of the carrier 130.

Rotation of the main drive shaft 22 rotates the cam 148 so that the camming surface horizontally reciprocates the follower 152 which in turn reciprocates the transport carrier 130. The wire for a time before severance of a segment 87 extends through the space between the upper transport jaw 126 and the lower transport jaw 128 intermediate the ends thereof. As the carrier 130 experiences a rearward stroke (to the left as seen in FIG. 4) the gripping ends 129, 131 of the transport jaws approach the extended length of wire which is now stationary at the end of a fixed stroke. The interior facing surfaces of the gripping ends 129, 131 which approach the extended length of wire converge so that as the jaws are moved rearwardly, the wire will first abut the lower jaw 128 and then force the lower jaw to rotate on the pivot 140 and slightly away from the upper jaw 126. The length of the wire extending from the anvil 98 up to the transport jaws is quite short (half the length of staple segment 87) and the spring 142 is light so that the wire can oscillate the lower jaw without undue flexing. A notch 162 in the gripping end 129 of the upper jaw 126 engages the center of the extended length of wire so that the lower jaw can again move towards the upper jaw and so that the gripping ends 129, 131 of the jaws can hold the wire between them. With the wire so positioned, the cutting means severs the extended length of wire. The wire feed and the cutting means are appropriately located so that the severed length of wire is gripped midway between its ends.

The transport jaws 126, 128 then experience a forward stroke and carry with them the severed length (staple segment) of wire to foremost position, shown in FIG. 4, at a staple forming station.

The brush making machine 21 further includes a hopper 164 (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 9) which stores a quantity -of bristles 166 that are to be separated into bunches that will be inserted into the backs of the brushes. The bristles may be animal hair, or metallic or synthetic plastic filaments. The hopper 164 includes an elongated vertical chute 168, having at its top an open end enlarged for easy placement of bristles therein. The bristles are oriented in substantially parallel and horizontal relation and are forced downwardly toward the bottom of the chute by a presser foot 170. The foot 170 is urged downwardly by a weight 172 which is connected to the foot by an elongated shaft 174 on which the foot is rotatable.

The bottom of the chute 168 is open and is blocked by a two-piece picker bar 176 (see FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 9 and the parts of which are held together by a bridge strip 177. The picker bar is reciprocally mounted for move ment on its lower edge in a groove 178 on the frame 34 of the brush making machine and on its upper edge by a gib 179. The picker bar slides back and forth across the bottom of the stack of bristles 166 and has a small vertical slot 180 between its two parts which slot passes across the bottom of the stack of bristles once during each cycle of operations.

The group of bristles which fall into and are thus gathered by the slot 180 upon such passage forms the stock 182 for a tuft of bristles that lie athwart the picker bar. The slot 180 extends from the top edge to the bottom edge of the picker bar 176 and to prevent the bristles from falling through the slot and to determine and limit the number of bristles to be formed into a tuft, a guiding fork 184 supports the end portions of the tuft stock, i.e. the ends of the picked bunch of bristles. This support is provided as the tuft stock moves with the slot 180 on the picker bar 176 from the hopper 164 to the staple forming station. One arm 186 of the fork is disposed adjacent and under the path of travel of one end of the tuft stock and adjacent one side of the picker bar 176 while the other arm 188 is similarly located adjacent to the other side of the picker bar 176.

The picker bar 176 is reciprocally driven (see FIGS. 1 and 2) by a linkage which initiates at the main drive shaft 22. A circular eccentric 190 is fast on the main drive shaft and rotates within a strap 192. The strap is pivotally connected by a pin to a lever 194 which is pivoted on a fixed shaft 196 of the brush making machine. The pin is rotatable in a sleeve adjustably settable in a slot in the lever 194 to adjust the length of the picker stroke. The lower end of the lever 194 is coupled by a conventional linkage 198 to the picker bar so that upon rotation of the main drive shaft 22, the strap 192 reciprocates and thereby imparts a reciprocating movement to the picker bar itself. The picker bar shifts between a position wherein the slot underlays the bottom of the stack of bristles 166 and there picks up a bunch of bristles, and a position wherein the picked bunch of bristles is brought adjacent to the upturned ends of the guide arms 186, 188 and immediately below the position of the gripping ends 129, 131 of the transport jaws 126, 128 at the staple forming station.

Twin mirror-image staple forming and placement jaws, viz, a left jaw 200 and a right jaw 202 (as seen in FIG. 8) are utilized to shape the severed segment 87 of wire into a staple for reception of a picked bunch of bristles. The jaws 200, 202 are mounted on a carriage 204, see FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, which is mounted for vertical reciprocal movement of the frame 34. A portion of the carriage 204 is formed into a dovetail tongue 206 which slides vertically upwardly and downwardly in a dovetail groove 208 formed in the said frame 34. An upper portion of the carriage 204 is fixed as by screws 210 to the slide 116 and reciprocates upwardly and downwardly with the slide. The same drive means which reciprocates the slide 116 thus also reciprocates the carriage 204.

The staple forming jaws 200, 202 are each pivotally mounted at a central portion thereof on the carriage 204 and are movable toward and away from one another. The jaws 200, 202 are pivoted on the carriage 204 by threaded pivot pins 216, each pin passing through a different aperture in a holding plate 218, then through a bearing aperture 220 in its affiliated jaw and then being threaded into a tapped bore in the carriage 204. Thus, the jaws are mounted for movement about parallel horizontal axes perpendicular to the vertical plane of the carriage 204.

The upper portions of each of the jaws carry outwardly protruding studs 222. A coil spring 224 has its ends fixed each to a different stud and thereby urges the upper ends of the jaws together and the fingers 212, 214 of the jaws apart. Each stud 222 carries a cam roller 226, the rollers being acted upon by a linear face cam subsequently to be described. The interior facing surfaces of the fingers 212, 214 are formed with elongated parallel opposed V-shaped grooves 228, which grooves are proportioned and adapted to receive the severed length 87 of wire after the same is bent into a staple 230.

Staple driving means is provided to force the staple, after it has been formed into an appropriate configuration and after it straddles a picked bunch of bristles, into a hole in the brush back. To this end, a ram 232 is mounted for vertical reciprocal movement on the carriage 204 between the jaws 200, 202. The ram includes an elongated thin staple driver 234 of square cross section for the upper and major portion of its length but feathered to a flat blade configuration on its lower portion. The driver has a horizontal downwardly opening slot 236 at its bottom tip the axis of which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the severed segment 87 of wire. The driver is located so that when it experiences a downward stroke, the slot 236 in the tip of the driver will descend upon and overlay the center reach of the staple which has been formed from the severed length of wire, in the position in which it is located in the staple forming jaws. The driver is channeled in its movement by the grooves 228 in the fingers 212, 214 (see FIG. 7).

The staple driver 234 is fixed at its upper end to an elongated stern 238 which is settably coupled to drive means for the ram. The stem 238 slides vertically upwardly and downwardly in a slot 240 (see FIG. 6) in the vertically reciprocating carriage 204 and is centered between the jaws 200, 202.

Fixed to the exposed face of the stem 238 is a linear face cam 242 whose side walls are formed into identical mirror-image camming surfaces 244. Each camming surface is engaged by an afiiliated roller 226 carried by the upper portion of a different one of the jaws 200, 202.

The back of the cam 242 is formed with an elongated groove 246 which overlays the front wall of the stem 238. The cam 242 has a vertical central through slot 248 and a headed bolt 250 passes through the slot and into a tapped aperture 252 in the body of the stern 238. The earn 242 can be adjusted upwardly and downwardly relative to the stem 238 and is located at any position within this adjustable range by the head of the bolt 250 pressing the cam against the stem. Each camming surface 244 essentially comprises two parallel continuous displaced flats 244a, 24% connected by a rise 2440. The upper flats 244a are spaced further apart from one another than are the flats 244b so that as the cam 242 reciprocates downwardly and upwardly relative to and between the rollers 226, the rollers are located relatively closely to one another by the flats 24417 and then are spaced further apart by the flats 244a.

Drive means is provided for reciprocating the staple ram 232. Said drive means comprises the main drive shaft 22 fast onto which is fixed a circular eccentric 254. The eccentric rotates within a strap 256 to which is rotatably coupled as by a pin 258 one end of a lever 260. The lever is centrally pivoted on a stud 262 carried by the frame 34 of the brush making machine. The other end of the lever 250 is rotatably coupled by a link 264 to a loaded yieldable coupling, namely a pressurized pneumatic coupling 266.

The pressurized pneumatic coupling 266 comprises a piston 268 reciprocally slidable within a cylinder 270. The upper end of the cylinder 270 is rotatably connected to the link 264 by a headed bolt 272. The pressurized pneumatic coupling 266 further comprises a piston rod 274 fixed at one end to the piston and which extends through a lower vented end of the cylinder 270 and is ad justably affixed as by a pin 275 to the top of the stem 238. The upper portion of the cylinder 270 above the piston 268 is connected to a source of gas, e.g. air, under pressure (not shown) and an appropriate adjustable pressure regulator by a flexible duct 276. The gas pressure in the cylinder keeps the piston, during the normal course of operation, at the vented end of the cylinder and away from the end to which the duct 276 leads. The pressurized pneumatic coupling 266 is mounted for reciprocating sliding movement on the carriage 204 by an integral dovetail tongue 278 that engages a dovetail groove 280 formed in the forward surface of the sliding carriage 204.

The operation of the staple forming and placement jaws 200, 202 and the staple ram 232 can best be understood by reference to FIGS. 9 through 14. The timing of the drive means for the carriage 204 and for the staple ram 232 are appropriately adjusted so that the jaws and the ram will experience a predetermined relative motion as will now be explained.

It will be recalled that in the operation of the cutting means, the slide 116 was vertically reciprocated by its drive means. The carriage 204 is secured to the slide 116 so that it simultaneously experiences a vertical reciprocating movement and carries with it both of the staple forming jaws 200, 202.

When the carriage with its jaws begins its downward stroke, the relatively close planar camming surface 24 1b separate the rollers 226 and thereby permit the coil spring 224 to hold the upper ends of the jaws relatively close together and thus the fingers 212, 214 of the jaws relatively far apart. Sometime after the carriage and its jaws begin their downward movement, the transport jaws 126, 128 move to a position (see FIG. 4) wherein they hold the severed segment 87 of wire in vertical alignment with the grooves 228 on the interior facing surfaces of the fingers 212, 214 as well as in vertical alignment with notches 229 formed in the tips of the fingers and running parallel to the Wire segment.

As the jaws continue their downward movement the ,walls of the fingers 212, 214 defining the grooves 228 each pass by a different side of the upper transport jaw 126 until the notches 229 engage the severed wire segment 87 on opposite sides of the upper jaw 126. Continued downward movement of the jaws forces the segment down and through the segment moves the lower pivoted transport jaw 128 downwardly away from the upper transport jaw 126. When the forward end 131 of the lower transport jaw 128 reaches its limit of downward rotation it acts as a bending anvil over which the severed wire segment is formed by the inner corners of the lower ends of the grooves 228 into a downwardly opening U- shaped staple 230. The severed wire segment 87 during this bending process is first abutted and held in place on the lower transport jaw by the notches 229 and then as the jaws continue to descend is engaged by the grooves 228 on the interior facing surfaces on the fingers (see FIG. 10).

After the staple 230 has been formed, the transport jaws withdraw (as part of their reciprocating path of travel) so that the transport jaws do not interfere with the continuing downward movement of the staple forming and placement jaws toward the picker bar.

The picked bunch of bristles 182 is positioned directly underneath the downward path of travel of the jaws 200, 202 so that as said jaws continue downwardly the staple 230 straddles the central portion of the waiting bunch of bristles (tuft stock) and carries this central portion downwardly with it. The stationary guide arms 186, 188 of the fork 184 flex the ends of the tuft stock upwardly as the staple carries the central portion of the tuft stock downwardly between said arms and down out of the slot in the picker bar 176 and form the stock into a tuft configuration.

The placement jaws descend from the point of bristles pick up down through a conventional tuft guard deflector, i.e. tumbler 283, which holds to one side a previously inserted tuft and finally come to rest with their lower ends just above a hole 284 in the brush back 286, the back being held in a brush clamp 288. The tumbler maintains the bristles with the tips bent upwardly. FIG. 11 best illustrates the position of the staple forming jaws 200, 202 at this point. It will be noted that the staple 230 is supported in the grooves 228 on the interior facing surfaces of the fingers 212, 214 and that the tuft of bristles 182 is straddled by the staple.

Drive means, which as will be appreciated from the foregoing description is separate and distinct from the drive means for the staple forming and placement jaws,

actuates the staple ram 232 as the main drive shaft 22 rotates. Simultaneous rotation of the eccentric 254 reciprocates the strap 256 which in turn imparts an oscillating movement to the lever 260 through the link 264 and through the pressurized pneumatic coupling 266 and causes the staple ram 232 to move upwardly and downwardly and relative to the jaws 200, 202. As the jaws 200, 202 have been experiencing the downward movement just previously described, the ram has been simultaneously experiencing downward movement at approximately the same rate but in accordance with an aspect of the present invention lagging the movement of the placement jaws.

When the placement jaws 200, 202 are stopped at their lowermost position somewhat below the position shown in FIG. 11, the staple driver 234, which is an integral part of the staple ram, continues its downward movement so that, first, the transverse slot 236 at the tip of the driver engages the horizontal center reach of the staple 230 and, then, forces the staple to slide downwardly in said grooves 228 and into the aligned hole 284 in the brush back 286.

Before or as the driver 234 moves the staple downwardly in the grooves 228 and in any event before the tips of the staple emerge from between the grooves, the cam 242 operates upon the upper portions of the jaws 200, 202 and the camming surfaces 244a therefore force therollers 226 apart thereby forcing the fingers 212, 214

of the jaws together. This movement of the fingers squeezes the legs of the staple 282 slightly toward one another so that the tips of the staple legs can more easily enter the hole 284 in the brush back 286 and also more firmly grip and compact the bristles at this critical time.

The driver 234 continues its downward movement and at a point approximately when the tips of the staple have entered the mouth of the hole and are stabilized therein but before even the lowermost bristles have entered the hole (as shown in FIG. 12) the staple forming and placement jaws 200, 202 begin their upward movement away from the hole 284 so that the bristles can be erected, i.e. oriented upwardly, solely by the sides of the hole.

The timing sequence just described is of critical importance to the present invention. In previous brush making machines, wherein staple forming and placement jaws were also utilized, the tips of the fingers were brought into immediate adjacency with the surface of the brush back and remained in this position while the driver forced the staple into a hole in the brush back. Only .after the driver finished its stroke were the placement jaws and driver retrograded. The plan area of the tips of the fingers of the placement jaws was, and necessarily is, larger than the mouth of the hole in the brush back. Therefore when the tuft of bristles was carried by the staple into the hole, the mass of the tips of the fingers interfered with the smooth movement of the bristles into the hole, prevented the bristles from being erected solely by the Walls of the hole, and, in fact, the bristles were often pinched between the tips of the fingers and the upper surface of the brush back. This resulted in a drag and displacement of some of the bristles of the tuft causing the bristles to tangle and the tuft to twist in their final fixed position in the tuft hole. The bristles in the tuft thus radiated in an ungainly variety of angles and the overall appearance of the brush was thereby impaired. With the timing sequence which is an essential part of this invention and which has just been described, that is with, first, movement of the tips of the placement jaws adjacent to, yet somewhat spaced from the hole, then driving the tips only of the staple into the hole and then backing the placement jaws away from the tuft hole (as shown in FIG. 13), sufficient clearance is attained for the tuft movement so that as the staple continues to be driven into the hole and the tuft enters the hole, all interference between the placement jaws and the tuft of bristles is eliminated, resulting in a thick uniform untwisted and untangled tuft formation.

The driver 234 continues to drive the staple 282 downwardly into the hole until the tips of the staple bite into the tuft hole floor and the lowermost bristle-s in the tuft of bristles contact said floor so that the staple cannot be driven further. The placement jaws at this point are relatively quite distant from the top surface of the brush back 286 and are near the erect ends of the bristles (see FIG. 14). After the staple 282 has been driven as far into the hole 284 as desirable, the ram 232 initiates its upward movement and subsequently another cycle is repeated, placing a tuft of bristles into a different adjacent hole in the brush back.

FIG. 15 illustrates the neat, uniform untangled and untwisted relation of the bristles 182 in the hole, the bristles forming a firm thick full tuft and thereby imparting a pleasant, uniform sales-inducing appearance to the brush.

The loaded yieldable coupling 266 which is a part of the drive linkage between the main drive shaft 22 and the staple ram 232 permits regulation and adjustment of the maximum driving pressure with which the staple and its tuft of bristles is forced into the tuft hole in the brush back. It will be appreciated that the brush making machine can operate upon brush backs formed from various different materials including, for example, wood and various plastics. The tuft holes have been formed in a previous operation in the brush back usually by reciprocating vertical upward and downward strokes of a power drill.

It has been found that due to the inevitable lack of constant resistance to drilling in the material from which the brush backs are formed and due to the inevitable existence of play in the drilling mechanism linkage, the depth of the tuft holes is not uniform. This condition is especially true in brush backs formed from wood, wherein the wood fibers resist penetration by the power drill in varying degrees at different locations and in different brush backs. Further, due to the long drive linkage .between the main drive shaft 22 and the staple ram 232, the depth of the staple ram stroke may vary.

If a direct non-yielding mechanical linkage were used to actuate the staple ram, as has been the practice previously, usually the staple would be driven to its desired position in the bottom of the tuft hole. By desired position is meant a position wherein the ends of the staple bite into the floor of the tuft hole and the lowermost bristles in the tuft of bristles are pressed against the floor of the tuft hole by the staple. However, due to the variances in the depth of the tuft hole and the variances in the bottom terminal point of the ram stroke, as has been said, not infrequently the staple has tended to be driven too far into the tuft hole, i.e., the tuft of bristles straddled by the staple has been attempted to be pressed through the floor of the tuft hole as the staple is attempted to be driven beyond its desired position by the staple ram. This would weaken and even split the brush back causing defective production as well as customer complaints.

By using a resiliently loaded coupling as a link between the main drive shaft and staple ram, the maximum driving pressure applied to the staple can be regulated. To this end, the pressure regulator R is adjustable to set a desired pressure in the cylinder 270. Forty pounds per square inch is a typical air pressure for this purpose. Said air pressure normally keeps the piston 268 at the vented end of the cylinder so that the piston is held by the pressure immobilized relative to the cylinder. When during the staple driving operation, excessive resistance is encountered by the staple ram, as when the staple with its tuft of bristles is attempted to be driven too deeply through the floor of the tuft hole, excessive back pressure generated by the resistance of the staple ram to further movement downward in the tuft hole acts on the piston rod so that the pneumatic coupling will yield, i.e., so that the piston overcomes the gas pressure on its face and moves toward the other end of the cylinder, thereby preventing further driving of the staple ram.

The staple with its tuft of bristles is thus driven to its desired position in the bottom of the tuft hole and splitting or cracking of the brush back is prevented. When the staple driving ram next begins to experience its upward retrograde stroke, resistance is no longer exerted on the staple ram so (due to gas pressure) the piston moves back against the vented end of the gas cylinder and the brush making machine then continues normal operation.

The gas pressure can be adjusted through the pressure regulator R even while the brush making machine is running. Thus if an operator of the machine observes that the staples are not being driven deeply enough into the tuft holes in the brush backs, the staple driving pressure can be raised until the staples are driven to their desired position. If the operator of the machine observes that a staple is being driven too far into the brush back causing cracked or split backs, the gas pressure can be decreased until the brush making operation runs smoothly. When brush backs formed of different materials are tufted, when, as for example, a charge is made from operating on wood brush backs to operating on plastic brush backs appropriate adjustment can be made in the gas pressure through the pressure regulator.

It thus will be seen that there is provided an apparatus 13 which achieves the several objects of this invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a lirnting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and useful and is desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1.1m a brush making machine for implanting tufts of bristles in successive holes in a brush back,

(a) a supply of wire;

(b) cutting means severing segments of wire;

(c) a wire feed intermittently advancing the Wire from the supply a predetermined constant length to the cutting means, said wire feed comprising a carrier defining a path of travel for the wire towards the cutting means, a housing, means mounting the carrier on the housing for reciprocal movement in a direction parallel to said path of travel through a forward stroke and a rearward stroke, wire gripping means mounted on the carrier for movement therewith and movable between a position securing the wire to the carrier during said forward stroke so as to advance the wire said constant length through its path of travel and a position freeing the wire from the carrier during said rearward stroke, drive means re ciprocating the wire gripping means and by such reciprocation reciprocating the carrier, said drive means positively mechanically moving the wire gripping means to its wire securing position at the initiation of the forward stroke and positively mechanically moving the wire gripping means to its wire freeing position at the initiation of the rearward stroke, and means holding the wire stationary relative to the housing during the rearward stroke of the carrier;

(d) a staple forming station;

(e) means transporting each severed length of wire from the cutting means to the staple forming station;

(E) a supply of bristles;

(g) means extracting a set of bristles from the bristle (b) means at the staple forming station forming a staple from the segment of wire;

(i) means straddling the set of bristles with the formed staple; and

(j) means driving the staple with its set of bristles into a tuft hole in the brush back.

2. In a brush making machine, the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the wire gripping means comprises an element movable between a position free from the wire and a position engaging the wire, and wherein the drive means initially moves the element from its free position to its engaging position, and then continues to drive the element and thereby the carrier.

3. In a brush making machine, the combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the element is so pivotally mounted on the carrier that one end of the element is swingable between a location wherein its end is distant from the wire and a location wherein its end jams the wire against the carrier.

4. In a brush making machine for implanting tufts of bristles in successive holes in a brush back,

(a) a supply of wire;

(b) cutting means severing segments of wire; and

(c) a wire feed intermittently advancing the wire from the supply a predetermined constant length to the cutting means, said Wire feed comprising a carrier defining a path of travel for the wire towards the cutting means, a housing, means mounting the carrier on the housing for reciprocal movement in a direction parallel to said path of travel through a forward stroke and a rearward stroke, wire gripping means mounted on the carrier for movement therewith and movable between a position securing the wire to the carrier during said forward stroke so as to advance the wire said constant length through tis path of travel and a position freeing the wire from the carrier during said rearward stroke, drive means reciprocating the wire gripping means and by such reciprocation reciprocating the carrier, said drive means positively mechanically moving the wire gripping means to its wire securing osition at the initiation of the forward stroke and positively mechanically moving the wire gripping means to its wire freeing position at the initiation of the rearward stroke, and means holding the wire stationary relative to the housing during the rearward stroke of the carrier.

5. In a brush making machine for implanting tufts of bristles in successive holes in a brush back,

(a) a staple forming station;

(b) means supplying a short segment of wire to the staple forming station;

(c) means at the staple forming station forming a staple from the segment, said staple forming means comprising a pair of staple forming jaws and a bending anvil, said jaws being mounted and arranged to form a staple over the anvil and to grip the staple therebetwen;

(d) means mounting the jaws for movement first to a position wherein the staple straddles the set of bristles, then to a position with the jaws adjacent the brush back and with the ends of the staple stabilized in a tuft hole in the brush back, and then to a position distant from the tuft hole;

(c) drive means actuating the jaw mounting and moving means;

(f) a staple ram;

(g) means mounting the staple ram to drive the staple with its set of bristles from betwen the jaws and into the floor of a tuft hole in the brush back; and

(h) drive means actuating the staple ram, both of said drive means being relatively timed so that as the staple ram drives the staple with its set of bristles from said stabilized position betwen the jaws, the jaws are moved distant from the tuft hole.

6. In a brush making machine for implanting tufts of bristles in successive holes in a brush back,

(a) a staple forming station;

(b) means supplying a short segment of wire to the staple forming station;

(c) means at the staple forming station forming a staple from the segment, said staple forming means comprising a pair of staple forming jaws and a bending anvil, said jaws being mounted and arranged to form a staple over the anvil and to grip the staple therebetween;

(d) means mounting the jaws for movement in alignment with the axis of the hole from a position wherein the staple straddles the set of bristles, then to a position with the jaws adjacent the brush back and with the ends of the staple stabilized in a tuft hole in the brush back, and then to a retrograde position distant from the tuft hole;

(e) drive means actuating the jaw mounting and moving means;

(f) a staple ram;

(g) means mounting the staple ram for movement between the staple forming jaws and in alignment with the axis of the hole to drive the staple with its set of bristles from between the jaws and into the floor of a tuft hole in the brush back; and

(h) drive means actuating the staple ram, both of said drive means being relatively timed so that as the staple ram drives the staple with its set of bristles from said stabilized position between the jaws, the jaws are moved distant from the tuft hole.

7. In a brush making machine, the combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein a driveshaft is included andwherein separate drive linkages independently connect to said driveshaft each of the drive means actuating the jaw mounting and moving means and the drive means actuating the staple ram.

8. In a brush making machine for implanting tufts of bristles in successive holes in a brush back,

(a) a staple forming station;

(b) means supplying a short segment of wire tothe staple forming station;

(c) means at the staple forming station forming a staple from the segment, said staple forming means comprising a pair of staple forming jaws and a bending anvil, said jaws being mounted and arranged to form a staple over the anvil and to grip the staple therebetween;

(d) means mounting the jaws for movement in alignment with the axis of the hole from a position wherein the staple straddles the set of bristles, then to a position with the jaws adjacent the brush back and with the ends of the staple stabilized in a tuft hole in the brush back, and then to a retrograde position distant from the tuft hole;

(e) drive means actuating the jaw mounting end means;

(f) a staple ram;

(g) means mounting the staple ram for movement between the stapleforming jaws and in alignment with the axis of the hole to drive the staple with its set of bristles from between the jaws and into the floor of a tuft hole in the brush back;

(h) drive means actuating the staple ram;

(i) a drive shaft; and

(j) separate drive linkages independently connecting to said driveshaft each of the drive means actuating the jaw mounting and moving means and the drive means actuating the staple ram.

9. In a brush making machine for implanting tufts of bristles in successive holes in a brush back,

(a) a staple forming station;

(1)) means supplying a short segment of wire to the staple forming station;

() means at the staple forming station forming a staple from the segment, said staple forming means comprising a pair of staple forming jaws and a bending anvil, said jaws being mounted and arranged to form a staple over the anvil and to grip the staple (e) drive means actuating the jaw mounting end moving means;

(f) a staple ram;

(g) means mounting the staple ram for movement between the staple forming jaws and in alignment wtih the axis of the hole to drive the staple with its set of bristles from between the jaws and into the floor of a tuft hole in the brush back; and

(h) drive means actuating the staple ram, both of said drive means being relatively timed so that the staple forming jaws lead the staple ram in both their downward movement toward the tuft hole and their upward movement away from the tuft hole so that as the staple ram drives the staple into the tuft hole, the staple forming jaws are. moved distant from the tuft hole.

10. In a brush making machine for implanting tufts of bristles in successive holes in a brush back,

(a) means supplying a set of bristles;

(b) means supplying a staple;

(0) means positioning the staple over the set of bristles;

(d) a staple ram;

(e) means mounting the staple ram to drive the staple with its set of bristles into the floor of a tuft hole;

(f) drive means actuating the staple ram; and

(g) loaded, elastically yieldable, pressurized pneumatic coupling means inter-connecting the drive means and the staple ram, said coupling means comprising a pneumatic collapsible chamber and an elastic gas under a predetermined pressure in said chamber, said coupling means permitting the drive means to continue its movement when the staple ram is halted by resistance to driving movement in excess of the pressure of the coupling means.

11. In a brush making machine, the combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein the coupling means comprises a first member and a movable member, said members defining the collapsible chamber and constituting a pneumatic cylinder and piston, one of said members being connected to the drive means and the other of said members being connected to the staple ram, means supplying the elastic gas to said coupling means under pressure, and valve means regulating said gas pressure.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 543,154 7/ 1895 Kuhlewind.

575,296 1/1897 Coupal 227-88 X 1,571,582 2/ 1926 Griswold et al. 227-91 1,748,261 2/1930 Walker et al. 227-88 2,43 8,951 4/ 1948 Stephens.

3,065,469 11/ 1962 Parker 227- GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, 111., Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BRUSH MAKING MACHINE FOR IMPLANTING TUFTS OF BRISTLES IN SUCCESSIVE HOLES IN A BRUSH BACK, (A) A SUPPLY OF WIRE; (B) CUTTING MEANS SEVERING SEGMENTS OF WIRE; (C) A WIRE FEED INTERMITTENTLY ADVANCING THE WIRE FROM THE SUPPLY A PREDETERMINED CONSTANT LENGTH TO THE CUTTING MEANS, SAID WIRE FEED COMPRISING A CARRIER DEFINING A PATH OF TRAVEL FOR THE WIRE TOWARDS THE CUTTING MEANS, A HOUSING, MEANS MOUNTING THE CARRIER ON THE HOUSING FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID PATH OF TRAVEL THROUGH A FORWARD STROKE AND A REARWARD STROKE, WIRE GRIPPING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE CARRIER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A POSITION SECURING THE WIRE TO THE CARRIER DURING SAID FORWARD STROKE SO AS TO ADVANCE THE WIRE SAID CONSTANT LENGTH THROUGH ITS PATH OF TRAVEL AND A POSITION FREEING THE WIRE FROM THE CARRIER DURING SAID REARWARD STROKE, DRIVE MEANS RECIPROCATING THE WIRE GRIPPING MEANS AND BY SUCH RECIPROCATION RECIPROCATING THE CARRIER, SAID DRIVE MEANS POSITIVELY MECHANICALLY MOVING THE WIRE GRIPPING MEANS TO ITS WIRE SECURING POSITION AT THE INITIATION OF THE FORWARD STROKE AND POSITIVELY MECHANICALLY MOVING THE WIRE GRIPPING MEANS TO ITS WIRE FREEING POSITION AT THE INITIATION OF THE REARWARD STROKE, AND MEANS HOLDING THE WIRE STATIONARY RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING DURING THE REARWARD STROKE OF THE CARRIER; (D) A STAPLE FORMING STATION; (E) MEANS TRANSPORTING EACH SEVERED LENGTH OF WIRE FROM THE CUTTING MEANS TO THE STAPLE FORMING STATION; (F) A SUPPLY OF BRISTLES; (G) MEANS EXTRACTING A SET OF BRISTLES FROM THE BRISTLE SUPPLY; (H) MEANS AT THE STAPLE FORMING STATION FORMING A STAPLE FROM THE SEGMENT OF WIRE; (I) MEANS STRADDLING THE SET OF BRISTLES WITH THE FORMED STAPLE; AND (J) MEANS DRIVING THE STAPLE WITH ITS SET OF BRISTLES INTO A TUFT HOLE IN THE BRUSH BACK. 